Study finds filtered coffee helps prevent type-2 diabetes, distinguishable biomarkers in blood
There seems to be more to a regular cup of coffee – a Swedish collaborative research has shown that filtered coffee can help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, as opposed to boiled coffee. Also, those who drank two to three cups of filtered coffee a day had a 60% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than others who drank less than one cup of filtered coffee a day while consumption of boiled coffee did not affect the diabetes risk.
The diabetes risk was determined through participants’ “blood biomarkers” which indicated the intake of different types of coffee through metabolomics. This new method allowed Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology and Umeå University researchers to differentiate the diabetes risk for boiled and filtered coffee, alongside classic dietary questionnaires. Postdoctoral researcher and lead author Lin Shi commented that metabolomics also enabled an in-depth study of metabolism and how certain foods influence disease risk, in place of self-reports.
While boiled coffee is said to influence sugar metabolism due to its diterpenes content, “the diterpenes are captured in the filter” in filtered coffee, according to Rikard Landberg, a professor affiliated with both universities.
Filtered coffee is a common method of preparation in many places, including Scandinavia. As an alternative preparation method, boiled coffee then refers to coarse ground coffee added directly to boiling water and left to brew for a few minutes. Coffee made in a cafetière, or French press, is prepared in a similar way to boiled coffee, so it may not reduce type-2 diabetes risk.
However, Landberg believes espresso coffee or coffee-pods, which are brewed without filters, could have similar health effects to boiled coffee, in terms of the risk of type-2 diabetes. Landberg also stresses that the health impacts of coffee depends on more than its preparation, but also on how the drink is managed.